Ancestry reviews and complaints 204
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I did not request their services yet they charged me
Ancestry.com charged my credit card number for a service that I did not request or even received. I have never heard of Ancestry.com (MFI Family Ancestry) until the charge showed up on my bank account. Now I have seen many complaints about them. They took $ 109.00 from me. I want to know who and how they got my banking info?
I did do some searching and found multiple reports of credit card fraud involving Ancestry.com (MFI Family Ancestry). How are these people allowed to remain in business?
very poor customer service
'DNA provides deep ancestry and often relationship with others. It will not tell you who your father is" says ancestry.com:::...DUH...
I think ill go with a LESS INSENSITIVE company that answers your questions correctly and doesn't respond as if you are an idiot. I ASKED WHAT WILL IT TELL ME NOT WHAT IT WILL NOT TELL ME ..this is what I wrote back to the jerks at Ancestry.com. I wrote to this company to get an idea what a DNA test will tell me with no mothers or fathers DNA present . As bad as it is that I do not know who my father is for them to incorrectly answer my original question and write back in this way infuriated me. Thank goodness I didn't fork over my cc number for their free trial. I didn't bother to read their response either. They messed up in my book.
Email to Ancestry. com: So you believe that we, the general public, aren't smart enough to figure out the implications of Y-DNA and mtDNA, so you drop this part of the testing and satisfy the masses with grouping genealogist with hobbyist. And by the way, if you plan to eliminated Y-DNA and the mtDNA aspect of testing, clean up the website and help files so you aren't misleading your costumers with bits of information that don't exist. I did send in a test and thought there was something wrong when I saw what seemed to be an incomplete test result. I called service and I was told that that was it. I thought it was strange for a company into real genealogy to expand a service not subtract from it.
Response: (Sort of) Dear Sir,
Thank you for contacting Ancestry.com regarding your feedback on the new autosomal DNA test.
We apologize for any frustration this issue may have caused and appreciate your feedback. We have forwarded your message on to our feedback department.
For information regarding additional methods of submitting feedback, please visit the following URL:
http://ancestry.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/970/
If you need additional assistance, please feel free to reply to this message or contact us by phone at 1-800-ANCESTRY [protected]) from 10am to 10pm EST, Monday through Sunday. To date there was no response be the feedback department.
Yep. That was a rather poor way to handle your question. It drives me crazy when customer service reps don't actually answer my questions as well.
I'm not an expert with DNA, but I happen to know a geneticist whom I asked about things like this. If I remember correctly, DNA can be traced through a male line (your father, his father, his father, etc.) or through a female line (your mother, her mother, her mother, etc.). Ultimately, you'll find out countries where your ancestors came from (sometimes actual regions as well). But it's only going to be able to follow two branches of your tree, so it doesn't really give a whole picture. For some people, the DNA test is really helpful. But for others it's a complete waste of time.
deleting account
Ancestry.com refuses to remove my account and personal information from their website (after a relative kindly created the account for me). After requesting that they delete my account, here is the response:
"... as the Registered Guest accounts are designed to give unlimited access to our free services, there is not an established method to cancel these accounts. When you have concluded using your Registered Guest account, simply discontinue your use. You will never be charged. We hope that you enjoy your Registered Guest account with Ancestry.com. Other types of participation on Ancestry.com may require a paid account. "
Translation: we will never delete your personal information, so stop asking and be grateful that we won't charge you for it.
Avoid this website like the plague. These kind of shady practices are despicable.
I was stupid enough to open a Ancestry guest account. This is VERY SCAM! I tried to cancel my guest account but this is impossible. Very chip trick! Ancestry.com is chip, lying, low profile money sucking “company”. I tried to call but there is answering “too many calls”. Sure! The website doesn’t give any option to cancel account. There is no option at all. All they need to suck your money and no escape. I will do everything possible on all websites to tell about my experience.
Ancestry is a scam and racist operating business out of Utah .
Yeah, I don't really like that policy either. If you're really finished with Ancestry.com, then there are a few things you can do, however.
First, download your tree as GEDCOM file. This will allow you to still have access to it later (you'll need a Genealogy program to read it, but it doesn't have to be Ancestry.com). There's a tutorial about it here: http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/the-site/export-your-family-tree-as-a-gedcom/
Then, delete your tree. The link to do so right underneath the Download GEDCOM button.
Then, click My Account at the top of the screen. On the right, you can then update your personal information like your email address, your mailing address, your phone number, etc. Now, you can't delete this, but you can change it to be information that is totally incorrect. This way, your account will live on in the Ancestry.com system, but none of the information on it will be correct.
the truth about ancestry.com
the truth is that they make you think that your related to the person that you see on the other screen. but, really, your not.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
It's important to recognize that there are errors in genealogy records. Ancestry.com is a great way to connect with records, but you MUST verify the information. See this site for an explanation: http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/the-site/not-all-records-military-census-etc-are-always-correct/
Ancestry.com has fabulous data, but the web interface is terrible and the customer service is non-existent
Ancestry.com has fabulous data, but the web interface is terrible and the customer service is non-existent. Firefox is totally incompatible, despite their claims to the contrary, and no one ever answers an email, ever. Their customer service hours are geared towards people on the east coast, and even they had better not have a day job if they want any technical support. It is impossible to get through on a Saturday, so forget that. I hear lots of rumors that it is impossible to cancel, too, and that better not be true, because that is just what I am about to do.
Old complaint, same problem. Why are all subscriptions set as default to auto-renewal when I (the customer) should be able to choose “auto-expire”? Ancestry.com certainly make it easy to set this OFF at the start. Worse is that you default to a 6 month renewal. What an arrogant assumption. What if I don’t like your service that much? Or what if you only want 1 or 2 months subscription.
This is a dishonest business model. You can hide behind your TC’s all you like but that has lost you a customer and hopefully 99 more as the saying goes. I really don’t want to have any more to do with your service, and I will discourage my friends and family from going anywhere near Ancestry.com, T Jones, Australia
Keith is right. You must have a cancellation number to be sure you cancelled. Otherwise... well, they'll charge you again. Calling and having Ancestry.com's service team provide you with the number is one way and definitely a safe way. But as long as you get the cancellation number, the web process is okay too... but you MUST keep going through the process until you get it. If you're not sure whether you got it, it's always best to phone customer service to double-check.
I completed the on line cancellation forms and the last one was a reason for cancellation. Then it wasn't cancelled. I recommend that you phone and CANCEL and get a receipt number. I was cancelling for a month or so whilst I was between jobs but now after this experience I will not rejoin or renew my subscription. Keith Burge, AUSTRALIA
Easier to join than to cancel... I agree on that one. And I agree that it really shouldn't be that way.
As for the 800 number, I'm sorry you had difficulties getting through. Are they busy? Yes, they definitely are. It's a big company. Some times are busier than others, of course.
I personally prefer just canceling on the website anyways. It's easier and less of a hassle, in my opinion.
I know that some people don't have a good experience, but I've used it for a while and I love it. And I believe that if people know what they're getting into and how to work the system correctly (hence my links to that unofficial website www.familytreeshortcuts.com above), then anyone with a good disposition and a desire to really get into genealogy can have a positive experience.
Anyways, I hope that since you didn't have a good experience, you were able to cancel correctly and therefore don't have to worry about it anymore.
Their number is 1-800-Ancestry. It's at the bottom of all of their pages where it says "Contact Us: 1-800-Ancestry." Of course, there's an argument to be made as to whether they should place it at the top so that people don't miss it. If you take a few moments to look for things, you can usually find them. But if you're the impatient type, genealogy research probably isn't your thing anyways.
As for the cancellation process, I suspect that a majority of users don't have a problem. Still, when you're as big as Ancestry.com is, a small portion is still a LOT of customers. I agree that the cancellation process should be easier.
Just my thoughts...
Sootane,
Fabulous data, yes. Problems with the interface, yes. But I have seen them make numerous changes (for the better) in just the last year. And I'm sorry you have problems with Firefox... though for me, I find that Ancestry.com runs much better on my Firefox browser than IE.
Since they are so huge, their customer service does get slammed from time to time. And you're right, their hours aren't very convenient for people who need to contact them in the evening . Don't ever reply to the automated emails because they're all "noreply" emails (read the fine print). Use this form instead: http://ancestry.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ancestry.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php.
You can also use the help articles (see http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/the-site/help-navigating-the-website/ for details on how to access and use them).
Oh, and while there are a lot of complaints about cancelling, it's actually a breeze if you actually follow through with all of the steps. See a video tutorial on how to (completely) cancel here: http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/scam-exposed-here-cancel-and-you%e2%80%99re-good/
scam - both charges and info
I signed up for their service at $16.95 and was billed $155.00. I thought it was $16.95 total and only found out when the charge hit my account they bill for one year and it is non refundable. What make this worse is you cannot cancel the subsricption. How can a company bill you for an entire year but list the price as monthly? The data on their site is miniscule as far as my family tree is concerned and yet, our family history is documented. I was under the impression they had uploaded census and other public information. Nothing there at all. So, why would I pay them over $150 per year to post my family tree that I have worked hard to discover? They add nothing, give nothing, and charge an amount that to me is nothing more than a scam.
I want a refund for the 11 months I am not using them. Any way I can get my money back?
cecile.[protected]@sunnymore.com
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Cecile Marie--
Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do. You should have read the fine print (yes, I know that no one does, so I don't blame you, but Ancestry.com has the legal advantage now). I found a site that you might find helpful explaining everything, however:
About the annual subscription charged at once: http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/subscription-costs-explained/
One thing you need to be aware of as well is that your subscription is probably set to automatically renew next year. Please take action to get it cancelled so that it does not renew. There's a nifty tutorial about how to cancel here: http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/scam-exposed-here-cancel-and-you%e2%80%99re-good/
In the mean time, like I said, there's not much you can do. You can call in to Ancestry support, but you're likely too late to get a refund of any type. But since you have an account, you may as well use it! It appears you were having difficulties finding any records on the site (Ancestry.com actually has the most extensive online record database in the world), so check out these pages for help findnig records:
http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/the-site/search-build-your-family-tree-learn-the-tips-here/
http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/the-site/the-card-catalog-is-your-source-for-specific-records/
http://lisaduvalltoday.com/
Refunds, Collections & Justice
Email: lisaduvall@att.net
Email me the details for proven results. I have the knowledge, experience and time.
Information
Ancestry.com I just about quit looking at the website...the only info they have on my family appears to be what I have given them..and then these ###s want to charge me for it! Today I got a hint notification on myself...like they know more than I do ...
Unfortunately, sometimes even Ancestry.com's massive databases aren't helpful for some people. You may be one of them. As for the hints, they're not always that great (though again, for some people, they are).
Have you tried advanced search or the card catalog yet? See this site for unofficial tutorials:
http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/the-site/search-build-your-family-tree-learn-the-tips-here/
http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/the-site/the-card-catalog-is-your-source-for-specific-records/
overcharge
signed up for $19.95 one year deal and was billed on credit card for $29.94. please cancel and credit my credit card immediately. thank you
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
You need to call 1-800-Ancestry. That's their customer service line. If they really did erroneously overcharge you, they'll usually refund the amount (I'm not an employee of Ancestry.com, so don't quote me on that, but I've found that is often the case). If you don't want to deal with them and just want to avoid recurring charges, be sure to cancel. There's a tutorial at this site: http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/scam-exposed-here-cancel-and-you%e2%80%99re-good/
Unfortunately, simply cancelling isn't going to get you a refund in this case, so I recommend talking to customer service.
Billing
Good luck trying to get them to stop billing you. You have to call 1-800 and plead your case to a customer service rep. If you are lucky they will stop charging your credit card or billing you. The call has to be made at a certain time of day, day of the week, and a certain number of days before expiration of current billing period. The service itself is pretty good. It's just such a pain to cancel, worse than AOL, that I would not consider re-subscribing and cannot recommend the service. You should be able to cancel from the Web site.
Actually, you can cancel using the website. A lot of people don't know how (or they do it wrong), so this site made a video tutorial about how to do it. The key is getting a 7-digit cancellation number. If you do it correctly, this it's really pain-free.
http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/scam-exposed-here-cancel-and-you%e2%80%99re-good/
Impossible cancellation of a registered guest
After several failed attempts to unsubscribe from all of Amncestry.com newsletters and emails, I complained to the Custeomer Service, asking them for help and asking contextually to cancel my account from all of their databases.
They answered me telling me that:
1) that I was placed in their "Do Not Contact List", which should mean that I shouldn't receive any new email from them
2) Surprisingly, they told me that for "Registered Guest accounts (...) there is not an established method to cancel these accounts. When you have concluded using your Registered Guest account, simply discontinue your use".
My complaints refer to:
A) I do still receive emails from them. Date of my complaint to Ancestry.com 02/16/2010, Date of their answer: 02/18/2010, date of the last Newsletter I received from them 03/02/2010 - which means AFTER being included in the "do not contact list".
B) I want to be cancelled from whatever ancestry.com database. I cannot believe that I am not able to cancel my profile, even if this is a free "Registered Guest Account". This shouldn't be possible in any Privacy policy.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I tried to cancel my guest account but this is impossible. Very chip trick! Ancestry.com is chip, lying, low profile money sucking “company”. I tried to call but there is answering “too many calls”. Sure! The website doesn’t give any option to cancel account. There is no option at all. All they need to suck your money and no escape. I will do everything possible on all websites to tell about my experience.
Click My Account at the top of the screen, and update your email address to be something non-existant. I imagine this should fix your problem.
Another user had a similar complaint about the removal of personal information due to this policy. See my response at Ancestry.com — deleting account for more details on that.
money taken out of credit card
I tried to get my husbands birth certificate through Vital Check but they were asking me to get some paperwork notorized and fax things over to them. I decided to cancel the order, it said it was not complete if I didn't do the notorizing and faxing. The next day they took $12 out of my credit card for no reason. They are very deceitful! Can you imagine how many people they take $12 out of their account for no good reason?! -Laura
It's important to recognize that Ancestry.com has nothing to do with retrieving actual birth certificates. All they do is refer you to companies that can do it (Vital Check in your case?). If you have a problem with the service, complain about the company that's providing the service, not about the company that referred you to them.
In any case, did you know that you can get birth certificates directly from the government? Check with your state (or in my case, the county) where it was originally registered. You can get copies of certificates, and it's always cheaper than going through 3rd parties (though admittedly not as convenient if you happen to live on the opposite side of the country).
Recurring charges not clearly marked
After finding that when I signed up for a month of service, that the service continued to be billed monthly, I called and asked if the website clearly marks it as a recurring charge. I was told that there is an asterisk and you have to follow it to the bottom of the page to find out that information. We consumers need to let companies know that it is not acceptable to hide details from us! Recurring charges should be CLEARLY MARKED. Time flies during the holidays and I had not checked my credit card statements so I had not seen the recurring bill. They refunded me only the last month. Because I had paid for at least another month of service that I did not use because I did not know that I had it (thinking I had paid only for 1 month), I asked if they could give me a free month of service. They said they could not because they had given me a refund of the last month I had not used the service.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
So sorry that you missed that. Actually, there are a handful of places that it mentions recurring charges, but as you mentioned, they're pretty much all in the print. There's a site that explains differnt issues like this in more detail and explain how to avoid the problems that so many people face with Ancestry.com:
http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/
unauthorized charges
These people continuous charge your credit card without authorization after you join. I strongly suggest you do not join this site. It is not worth it. If anyone else used you credit card without your consent it would be FRAUD. They should be stopped!
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
The company may operate using several names. When purchasing certain copies of Family Tree they will offer a free three month to one year subscription of their service. You will be asked for a credit card in order to validate the 'free' service. Once they get your number they will then charge you in the future for subscription service. My charge was $163.17. I never received a notice and did not know about the charge until I received my credit card statement.
The company telephones are open a limited number of hours and even then after repeated calls I was always told there would be a 'nine minute wait'. The internet site they have will not let you delete the credit card number from their files. The site will also say that it is too late to cancel the subscription as more than 7 days have passed since the charge date.This is the second time in my life I have been ripped off like this. When will I learn?
In the other instance I filed a complaint with the FTC about a $29.95 charge that was made to my credit card on a 'continuing basis' without my knowledge. The FTC was able to recover $26.00 for me on that case. This company just has to have oen of the worst customer relations programs in existence. They are out to rip you off. Don't accept their 'free' services.
Actually, per the terms and conditions that you explicity agree to when you sign up, you actually do authorize them to keep charging your card. Of course, I agree that it is a little deceptive, but you can't call it fraud when you've given them legal permission.
I've found this site to be helpful. They endorse Ancestry.com, but they're not a part of it so you get Ancestry's fine print in layman's terms. They explain how to avoid most Ancestry.com complaints, and they explain how to completely cancel your account so you don't keep getting charged. http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/
scam
What an awful scam from a large US based company that preys on those interested in family history.
They offer a 14 day free trial. However they take your card details and then bill you if YOU dont cancel the free trila. The terms and conditions do say they will BUT who reads all the terms and conditions. That is what they work on-the assumption we dont read them. what a scam. They make MILLIONS $ and £'s in USA and UK and worldwide.
Anyone else ripped off by them?
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
Its time that an international police investigation was immediate because for 3 months AFTER i Cancelled my Account held for many years
and still they are extracting a monthly premium.
If I try and log in "BECAUSE I OBVIOUSLY HAVE AN ACCOUNT I am notified my E.Mail/Password is not recognised.
So phoning the Dublin Office Southern Ireland I was informed I had an account according to their records and thats why they have extracting MY MONEY OUT OF MY BANK ACCOUNT.
Strange how signing in on thev Ancestry Co Uk internet site I am advised that I do not have an account, yet today Leo in Dublin stated I do have an account showing and thats why they extract money monthly.
So having E.Mailed and cancelled in December 2016 they decided to not cancel but illegally extract money each month.
I will be pursuing the Chief Executive of Ancestry Co Uk and seek an immediate Police Authority investigation in Utah and Dublin
paid special offer fee on *january 8 2010 money taken from my account but cannot access web site
i agree with the last complaint ancestry .co. are pulling a scam .i used the site only once when i signed up for the so called free trial didnt realise they would bill me without letting me know first not until i received my credit card statement and found i had been charged quite are large sum as i am a senior citizen (you you would think i should know better but you trust people who are advertised on television and have such a big profile .
i do hope no one else will be taken in by this firm as i was i have cancelled my subscription by phone tried to do it online but email address was not recognised
i have received an sms on my mobile that no. is [protected]. in this massage written that i had awarded one million pond from yahoo/msn contest held in london.
credit card fraud
I was not satisfied in the services (ancestry.com) after a few months, and cancelled the subscription (i have the cancellation). they have continued to charge my credit card each month (shame on me for not noticing) for $29.95.
I phoned them, and was 'blown off' (they would not escalate my call). They gave me an address to send my complaint to
I would not reccomend this company to anyone.
Did you get a 7-digit cancellation number? If you didn't, then you didn't finish the cancellation process. See this site for an (unofficial) tutorial on how to cancel: http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/scam-exposed-here-cancel-and-you%e2%80%99re-good/
Incompetent administration
Ancestry swiped 83 pounds out my account under the guise of a subscription fee ( card not present transaction ) I haven't logged onto the site for six months and I deleted my direct debit to them from Barclays bank terminal. Yet they reinstated it with Barclays help. Ancestry agreed to refund it in 5 working days. Two weeks later the money has still not turned up and Ancestry said it may not be there for another week because they are having "problem" with their new payment system. ANCESTRY NOT ONLY DOCUMENT THE PAST, THEY'RE LIVING IN IT. In this modern age bank transactions can be made in one day. If your systems are failing go to plan B. It could be done quickly they just don't care or feel any moral responsibility fix there mistakes quickly. My advise is DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO ANCESTRY.CO.UK UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. They won't stop taking your money and they wont give it back.
I have paid a sub for a year and have had hours of fun researching my family tree. I have been able to make contact with distant family members and have found family all over the UK. It has been a real treat. I dread when my year is up as I do not know if I will be able to afford another year. By then I hope to have done all I need, have all the addresses where my family lived, Then I, from South Africa, a brother from Australia and a brother from London are all going to meet in London and explore where the family all lived and get an ide of how they lived in those days gone by.
Ancestry have told me they intend to renew my subscriptio if I don't cancel by the 8th April. I have gone into their website but there is no way one can cancel a subscription. They give you the steps to take but when you get into the website they are not there.
I feel frustrated and find it difficult to believe they would do this but the proof is in the pudding. I don't trust them at all.
Michael Young
yes i had the same experience recently. Didn't read the small print and was taken for a ride.
You take advantage of their 14 day offer and then lose interest and then find they are billing you and they cite the contractual terms that you nevere read! They must swindle millions worldwide. Am writing to my MP!
Fraudulent charges
I was recently charged $155.40 by ancestry.com. Luckily I caught it before my bank authorized the charge and had it cancelled. This charge was made while no one able to access my account had access to computers. I was at work and my husband was caring for my sick child. I would never authorize an amount this large for something as silly as this.
Have you had an account with Ancestry.com in the past? If so, you should know that generally such subscriptions automatically renew (which is in the terms and conditions). See this site for an explanation: http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/subscriptions-automatically-renew/
In any case, they somehow got your credit card, and they definitely didn't go out looking for it (the BBB sure wouldn't give them an A+ if this were the case: http://www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/genealogists/ancestrycom-in-provo-ut-2003190).
Since it obviously wasn't your intent to subscribe, I'm glad that you caught it in time. It's never fun to find a random $155 charge on your card!
Scam and fraud
There are many complaints regarding Ancestry.com and they are all valid as far as I am concerned. They attempted to use my credit card and extend my membership even though they had been instructed not to. They do this because as most people who have even had a membership with Ancestry will tell you they don't have any information other web sites don't have and the other web sites are free or at least won't take it apon themselves to extend a membership. If you ever do a search on Ancestry you will see that most of their information is taken from Census reports that are available everywhere. That's why they extend your membership, they hope you won't notice and they have such a dramatic fall out rate that they try to swindle people. Do not under any circumstances give them your credit card number unless you have a credit card company that believes you and not them. The credit card companies want that money too. Ancestry will take you to the cleaners if you allow them to.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I have 100% proof of evidence of my German heritage going back generations with birth certificates, names, etc. Generations. Ancestry.com returned a result with 0% (ZERO!) of German or even any Western European descent. How the hell can that be!? They refuse to provide a refund back. They suggest, to get a blood relative's test done--I say, great, give me a free DNA test and I'll test a blood relative. Said, I have to freaking pay for another test! So, even to lodge a complaint about a faulty test, I have to PAY extra money for ANOTHER DNA test with them (I already have 0% trust in their first result!). What a freaking rip-off!
P.S. Also, they charged me for a subscription when I just ordered a DNA test...
Ancestry scam, no refund, no reply to mails, waiting period on the phone when calling their help line is about 1.5 hours. We have ordered 4 test set from ancestry.com, all were delivered within 3 month ! 3 of the sets were processed and the results were sent back after another 3 mont; however I got a mail saying that they could not process my samples and that I needed to get another test set. Strangely enough the link in the e mail lead to a new ordering page. After having this rectified by mail after some weeks I was send another test set 2 month later. I returned the sample just to receive another e mail that they couldn t process it again. I called their help line and had to wait for 1.5 hours (that s 90 minutes listening to music and announcements that one of the customer service associates will be with me shortly) I was told by that I cannot apply for a refund as the sets were ordered and pad by our son. I had to get our son to write to them and request a refund. Guess what: That was the last time they have shown any signs of life! No response to e mails, sent several ones asking for verification as our son had in the meantime requested a refund to his credit card. But nothing has happened since .. this was 6 month ago ! Sept 2020 to be exact. No reply to my latest e mail where I was asking for an urgent response.
DO NOT SIGN UPO WITH ANCESTRY >>>> THEY WON T HOLD THEIR PROMISES AND DO NOT REPLY TO YOUR MAILS !
Mike
Ancestry charged my card twice for $199 for membership I never signed up for. To date they have not responded to my request for a refund. I can only hope they cancelled my account as requested. Don’t fall for their sappy ads.
Ancestry ripped me off. Billed me 5 months even though I was told it was one month free. Got no info on my fathers family nothing. Also dna test results 'you are of of European decent' yea no kidding not one dna match.
Promised me full refund, but never got it. Filing small claims court and ripping them on social media ...will get my $250 back you crooks.
I used to think Ancestry DNA was accurate. I did the DNA and was impressed with the results. It seemed believable to me. Recently I received an "update" from them... telling me my original sample was 'retested' or something, and most of the countries they said I was from are gone, and now morphed into just 2 regions. These don't seem plausible to me.
Save your money. They'll just make up something anyways!
This website is a fraud. It seems links to "family members " are provided with very little validity in hopes of attracting people to pay fees and keep them engaged to pay even more fees. A waste of time and money.
Ancestry.com. Is it a scam?
I have been trying to write my biography over the last decade. One missing piece is my ancestry. I have subscribed to Andestry.com for more than three years (at a cost of more than $850). However, I have made little progress tracing my ancestry. My wife has Parkinson’s and dementia and requires most of my time. So, I approached Andestry.com because they advertise that they can do this work for me. They wanted $5, 000 to produce a history and promised both a Family Tree as well as a summary describing their findings (They provided me with a copy of the “Davis Family Story” implying that is what I would get for $5, 000). After months they provided a draft work in progress and finally on March 7, 2018 a final Family Tree along with a 5-page summary of their work and a “Research Journal” with considerable detail of what I expected Ancestry.com to summarize. The Family Tree was incomplete and followed the lives of people (however related) I had never heard of. A total waste of time. The summary was not only wrong and disjointed, it too was largely useless (and nothing like the “David Family Story”). I had several conference calls with Ancestry.com staff regarding their poor work. They promised to fix it but claimed they had no time left. Finally, they sent additional Family Trees, but they too were incomplete and needed a lot of detailed work. They promised to put together a proposal for completing the work that I was promised but did not deliver that at well. One problem was that all this work was done apparently by an “intern” who they probably paid $15 an hour. Ancestry.com pocketed the remailing $110 per hour. So, for $5, 000 I got $600 worth of work (plus $4, 400 overhead?). Clearly, I have been cheated. I write this as a warning to others thinking Ancestry.com can be of any help. And now I am left to do the work that I have paid for with the little time I have away from my wife. Brian Ketcham, Brooklyn, NY.
ANC*ANCESTRY.COM has been charging me $99.00 every six months since Oct 2014. That 99X8 = $792.00. I did not knowingly signup for this subscription...yet it happened to me. I have had to cancel my "subscription" with ancestry.com and cancel my credit card because it has been compromised. If there is a lawyer who wants to sue ancestry.com, I will give you my case and only take $792.00 and you can keep whatever you can get out of ancestry.com for damaging my credit rating and committing a fraudulent charge to it's customer. Ancestry.com is a dirty company. I want my money returned to me. I sent them an email at fraud@ancestry.com but have not heard from them.
See my above reply.
Ancestry.com gave me two different DNA. I have one DNA kit saying that these are my results and another DNA kit saying that's it perfectly normal that I am looking at two different DNA test. Also because I have certain list or regions of Africa that makes me an automatic match to Virginia where Africans were taken and were enslaved. That's where my DNA ends nothing else. I have received racist remarks from Ancestry.com and a brush off like as it their mistakes are my mistake. DNA does not change as their site says but two different test saying different things. They do not have provide or have enough info.
DECEPTIVE, FRAUDULENT enrollment! Beware!
Without my direct & explicit consent Ancestry.com automatically enrolled me in their Semi-annual World Explorer Membership
They did this by using the credit card number that I used to explicitly purchase the DNA kit
After buying their kit in the first week, they started bombarding me with multiple emails trying to sell additional kits, etc. I did not read all these emails or if I did, I probably barely glanced at them
In one of these emails in very small letters they informed me I had been subscribed to this club for free for 14 days AND IF I DON'T CANCEL at the end of 14 days they'll charge me a $158 fee
HOW DO I CANCEL A MEMBERSHIP I NEVER EXPLICITLY AGREED TO?
In order to generate steady cash flow, it seems that the business model of Ancestry. com counts on the fact that the typical person does not open all their email or if they do, do not read all fine print
THIS IS A SCAM!
Credit card fraud
This company is accessing accounts by stealing credit card numbers and billing unsuspecting individuals. I think complainants should file a class action lawsuit against this company or preferably individual lawsuits that drive these unscrupulous scoundrels out of business.
they also are carching my accoount for something i did not ordered
AFTER I CANCELED MY SUBSCRIPTION WITH ANCESTRY.COM A CHARGE FROM MFI/MYFAMILY/ANCESTRY DEBITED MY ACCOUNT. I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE. AND I DON'T APPRECIATE THEIR ACTIONS.
Marketing Practices
Ancestry has made a business of selling peoples' family history back to them over the years. I have never liked their way of sucking researchers in with a little free information and then requiring payment for a subscription just when you think you are getting somewhere. Don't know how easy it is to use their 14 day "free trial" subscription and then get out of it but I would certainly never give them a credit card number to try out their trial offer. I have been able to get much better and quicker information over the last 30 years using Rootsweb mail lists and message boards. My latest complaint about Ancestry.com relates to their "free" installations in State Historical Societies. Here in Minnesota, you can do free searches in Ancestry.com databases at the History Center but cannot print out the results or save them to media. The screen does let you "share" your results by sending them to anyone via email. Since I wasn't about copy a lot of detailed census information by hand, I sent about 10 census page images to my own email address. The Ancestry.com screen showed that each one of the 10 was emailed successfully. When I got home, all 10 were in my email inbox. I was able to open the first four with no problem but when I tried to open the fifth, the Ancestry.com site said I couldn't see anymore unless I signed up for their 14 day "free trial." So all the time I spent at the History Center finding and sending the last six pages of information was lost. Ancestry.com should at least warn people after they send four emails to the same person or should not allow sending emails for History Center installations at all - just another example of their distasteful marketing tactics. It is interesting, but not surprising, that it is not easy to find anywhere on their site to make complaints.
Ancestry is FRAUD! Do not repeat my mistake, beware of this scam!
Try sending an email using this form: http://ancestry.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ancestry.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php
Just make sure that you label it a complaint and inform the reader that you want the complaint logged in their official complaint log (or whatever they may call it). Usually with companies like this, customer services reps can't do a lot, but they can send the complaint to someone else with more authority. Believe it or not, but some policies do get affected this way.
If you're interested in the free trial, just make sure you get it cancelled completely if you don't want it billed. There are unofficial tutorials on how to do this here: http://www.familytreeshortcuts.com/avoiding-issues/
Ancestry In-depth Review
Website Design and User Experience: The website design of Ancestry.com is clean and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate and find the information you need. The layout is intuitive, with clear menus and search options, ensuring a smooth user experience.
Database Size and Coverage: Ancestry.com boasts an extensive database with billions of records, covering a wide range of geographical locations and time periods. Whether you're searching for ancestors from Europe, Asia, or the Americas, you're likely to find valuable information to help you uncover your family history.
Research Tools and Features: Ancestry.com offers a plethora of research tools and features to assist users in their genealogical research. From advanced search filters to record hints and DNA matching, these tools provide valuable insights and help users make connections with their ancestors.
Membership Options and Pricing: Ancestry.com offers various membership options to suit different needs and budgets. From monthly subscriptions to annual plans, users can choose the option that best fits their requirements. While the pricing may seem a bit steep for some, the wealth of resources and features provided make it worth the investment for serious genealogists.
Customer Support and Assistance: Ancestry.com provides excellent customer support and assistance. Their support team is responsive and knowledgeable, ready to help users with any issues or questions they may have. Additionally, the website offers extensive FAQs, tutorials, and community forums where users can find answers and connect with fellow researchers.
Privacy and Security Measures: Ancestry.com takes privacy and security seriously. They have robust measures in place to protect user data and ensure the confidentiality of personal information. Users can feel confident that their sensitive data is safe and secure while using the platform.
Accuracy and Reliability of Results: Ancestry.com strives for accuracy and reliability in their results. While no genealogy website can guarantee 100% accuracy, Ancestry.com employs rigorous data verification processes and collaborates with reputable sources to provide users with reliable information. However, it's always recommended to cross-reference and verify findings through additional sources.
Community and Collaboration Features: Ancestry.com offers a vibrant community and collaboration features that allow users to connect with others who share their genealogical interests. Users can collaborate on family trees, share research findings, and even connect with distant relatives, enhancing the overall research experience.
Additional Resources and Educational Materials: Ancestry.com provides a wealth of additional resources and educational materials to help users in their genealogical journey. From informative articles and webinars to online courses and expert advice, users can expand their knowledge and improve their research skills.
Overall Rating and Recommendation: Ancestry.com is a highly recommended genealogy website that offers a comprehensive platform for researching family history. With its user-friendly design, vast database, powerful research tools, and supportive community, it provides an excellent experience for both beginners and experienced genealogists. While the pricing may be a consideration for some, the wealth of resources and features make it a worthwhile investment for those serious about uncovering their ancestral roots.
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I had the same thing happen to me and when I contacted Ancestry.com I was told that they couldn't do anything about my card being compromised and would not refund my money.
I do not know who MFI Family Ancestry is... I was not aware of Ancestry.com using this name. They have switched names in years past, but they've not used that one that I'm aware of. It sounds like it might be a company other than Ancestry.com.
In any case, if it is Ancestry.com then you should be able to call in and cancel for a refund. The only way that they could have gotten your credit card information is if someone put it in... so perhaps your card has been compromised and is being used by someone else. Ancestry.com is pretty good about returning money if it was due to fraud. Of course, the most important thing is to contact your card company and have them cancel your card if it has been compromised. They can also start a chargeback process for any charges you did not initiate. They also might be able to give more information about the company who charged that (whether it is Ancestry.com or another company).